The Interrupted Journey
by Amaltheia1
Summary: Amaltheia Turpin is a witch from a Muggle family who feels out of step with the rest of the world. When she receives her Hogwarts letter, she also finds the key to her past, which is filled with more adventure and mystery than she could ever have imagined


*** Disclaimer: I own the characters of Amaltheia Turpin and Nathaniel Avery, apart from that, all magical parts are JK Rowling's work and I have no claim to them as a small and meek fan-fic writer!  
  
Hi everyone! This is my first ever attempt at a fan-fic, so please be kind! :) No seriously, please review even though it's the first chapter and feel free to tell me anything you think should be changed or added. I know it's a bit short at the moment, but I'm working on the next chapters and will post soon! ***   
  
  
Amaltheia Turpin walked down the street, feeling the heavy weight of her bookbag snug against her back. It was a Monday morning just like any other. She took the same route as always, met the same people at school, and learnt the same things. School was no longer a challenge for her and she found subjects like Mathematics and English mundane and uninspiring. She always felt as if something was missing from her life - something integral that was a part of who she was. She sighed deeply and stared at her feet as she automatically stepped over every crack in the pavement.   
  
Anyone watching her walk down the street might have looked twice, as there was something about her that was not quite... normal. Clothing seemed to hang wrongly on her petite figure and her vivid green eyes seemed to hold some unfathomable strangeness.   
  
But then again, there had always been something different about Amaltheia Turpin, something that made her feel isolated from others. Maybe it was her unique name, which she had inherited from her beloved great-grandmother. She winced as she remembered many school-yard taunts and bullies taking advantage of that uniqueness. Apart from her best friend Erica, whom she loved dearly, and her parents, who were her supporters and protectors in everything she did, there was one other person who she felt she could connect with, and he didn't even know she was alive... Her thoughts were interrupted by a shout from the corner.. "Hey Mal! Over here!" It was Erica, who stood on tiptoes waving frantically, then bounded over, her distinctive black hair swishing with the movement.  
  
"Hey Erica, what's up?"  
"What's up?!" Erica replied with her usual amount of exuberance. "I'll tell you what's up! Daniel Evans asked me to the Spring Dance... AAAAAAAAAGH!!! Isn't that amazing?" Amaltheia shook her head slowly with a knowing grin, her deep red hair gleaming in the morning sun.   
"I'm very happy for you, I know you wanted this so much!"   
"I'm so excited!" Erica screamed as she leaped over the pavement, her pale arms outstretched towards the sky. Suddenly she calmed and leaned towards Amaltheia conspiratorially. "Now all we have to do is get you-know-who to ask you, and it'll be the perfect night!"   
"ERICA!" She squealed, slapping her on the arm. They laughed together, then walked arm-in-arm towards the school.  
  
  
*********  
  
  
Over their lunch that afternoon, the two girls discussed the Spring dance. Although she couldn't help but be slightly infected by Erica's enthusiasm, Amaltheia didn't really have any great expectations for the dance's success. As Erica chatted unconcernedly about dress colors and hairstyles, Amaltheia's bright green eyes were drawn to the solitary figure sitting under a tree on the far side of the oval.  
Nathaniel Avery was a solitary boy with serious brown eyes and mousy brown hair that often hung over his face. He was always reading novels or writing in that red book of his, and he was always alone. He was friendly enough, but seemed removed from everyone and any bullying directed his way seemed to slide over him.   
"Mal... Hey Mal... AMALTHEIA TURPIN!!" Erica screamed. Amaltheia jumped and asked,   
"Were you saying something?" Erica just laughed.   
"Come on daydreamer, it's time for class!"  
  
  
*********  
  
  
Amaltheia came home from school that day happier than she had been for months. Erica had finally made her excited about the Spring Dance, and the holidays were approaching. She walked into her house and threw her bag down on the kitchen floor.  
"Mum, I'm home!" She called as she grabbed an apple from the bowl. Munching contentedly, she walked into the loungeroom to see her mother seated on the sofa, her eyes red-rimmed and teary. The apple fell to the floor and rolled away unnoticed as Amaltheia ran to her and cried,  
"What's wrong mum, what happened?" A single tear leaked from her mother's eye as she tenderly placed her arm around her daughter's shoulders.  
  
"Oh darling," she started, faltering slightly, "I hate to tell you this, but.... your great-grandmother has passed away. I'm so sorry sweetheart." Amaltheia gasped, shocked for a second, before breaking down in tears. Her great-grandmother lived in Australia, and she had only ever met her twice, but in those two meetings the pair had formed an incredible bond. Apart from sharing the same name, the pair shared identical bright green eyes and their personalities were remarkably similar. When Amaltheia had flown to Australia and stayed at her house the previous summer, everything had been so different and strange. Around her great-grandmother, unusual things always seemed to be happening, although she tried to deny it. And of all the places in the world, that house was the place where Amaltheia felt as though she completely belonged.   
  
"W... what happened?" She sobbed as her mother rocked her slowly.  
"She died in her sleep darling, she was incredibly old you know. As a matter of fact, none of us seem to know how old she actually was, but we know she lived a full and happy life." As Amaltheia continued sobbing as though her heart would break, her mother picked up a square package and handed it to her. "She left this to you in her will Amaltheia. The note says that it contains her most precious possession." With trembling hands she unwrapped the package to reveal a thick, green, leather-bound book.  
"Her diary!" Amaltheia exclaimed, reading the gold inscription on the front. "This is the best thing she ever could have given me!"   
  
"Do you want to read it up in your room where you can have some privacy?" Mrs. Turpin asked gently, stroking a loose strand of red hair from her daughter's forehead. Amaltheia nodded gratefully, and kissing her mother on the cheek, raced upstairs to her room. Smiling sadly, she curled up on her bed and tried to open the diary. It seemed as if it were welded shut! Grunting with effort, she wrestled with the stubborn cover, but to no avail. Calming down, she examined the book in more detail and noticed a very thick, seemingly solid band of bronze-coloured metal holding the book closed.   
  
As she touched the band, she saw a tiny, ornate button on one side. Trembling with excitement, she gingerly pressed it, and gasped as a panel in the front of the book shot open and a thick piece of parchment fell to the floor. She picked up the folded sheet and smoothed it open, smiling at the distinctive, loopy handwriting and remembering her great-grandmother's extremely odd and old-fashioned habit of writing with a quill. A single tear leaked down Amaltheia's cheek as she began to read.... 


End file.
